V

' Independent Board of Inquiry Into nformal Repression

Phone [011] 403-3256 Fox (011] 403-'136c

MEMORANDUM ON VIOLENCE IN SEBOKENG. TUESDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER 1990.

1. INTRODUCTION

In the early hours of Tuesday 4 September 1990, a group of men with white and red headbands armed with an assortment of weapons launched an attack on the hostels in Sebokeng. In the attack, and in a subseguent incident some hours later when members of the SADF opened fire on residents of Sebokeng, at least 39 people were killed. A total of 137 people were arrested, among whom was Themba Khoza, the Transvaal leader of the Inkatha Youth Brigade who lives in Soweto.

This latest incident should be seen against the background of a number of violent incidents in this Reef township, starting with the July 22 attack on the Sebokeng hostels by Inkatha supporters returning from a rally in Zone 7.

BOARD MEMBERS: Prof L Ackermann, Dr Allan Boesak, Dr Alex Boraine. Pt Rev Dr Manas Buthelezi. Mrs Judy Chalmers. Dr Frank Chikane.Dr Max Coleman. Mr Brian Currm, Mrs Sheene Duncan, Mr Peter Harris, Mr Ere M dobi. Br JuOe Pieterse, Archbishop Desmond Tutu

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After the July 22 incident; wMch ^ ^

ln*atha supporters left the hostel and uere not

(T ldentS ' S°"ethin9 - - * « - t for>“ «»• (cf. M m i 25/07/90; T h ^ 26/07/90)

60 thS V1°lenCe SPread t0 °th« townships on the Reef the sentiment that ..Sebokeng won't happen again" was expressed bsome assaxlants clad with the distinctive white or d h Yindicating Inkatha membership. won,t

^ won 1 allow another

L d " " Inkatha SPOkeS”an t0ld reporter

resident^ ^ hostelresidents were forced tn fiwith Birns). £' (COnSUltation ** Mil* researcher

Renewed fighting broke out in Sebokeng on 24 July when about seven busloads of Inkafh*(The citi, supporters returned to the hostel.- -Cltizen 25/07/90; Beeld 25/07/90} c-

fighting. ---- V07/90, . Slx peopie died in the

1 August, two Sebokeng residents were killed ■ near u ^ Killed m an ambush

the Houtkop station, 06/08/90).

2. ACTIVITIES OF THE IBIIR IN SEBOKENG

Following requests from the local community organisations and from Cosatu, the Independent Board of Inquiry has been monitoring events in Sebokeng and taking statements from residents for for the past two months.

On the morning of 4 September, a researcher and an attorney for the Board was on the scene shortly after the killings by the attackers and the SADF took place. They consulted with local community leaders and with ANC leaders who were visiting the township, as well as with senior officers of the South African Police.

Because of a deep seated mistrust in the South African Police among the residents of Sebokeng, residents have been unwilling to submit statements concerning the events of 4 September to the police. The Independent Board of Inquiry has been active in collecting statements from residents, and after consultation with the witnesses and with local leadership structures, it was decided to submit these statements to the police and to co-operate with the police in order to enable them to press charges against the 137 suspects who were arrested.

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The Board has submitted the statements of 43 eye-witnesses to Col van Niekerk and Lt Coetzer of the SAP investigating team in Sebokeng. This has enabled the police to charge the 137 people who were arrested on the 4th September on 35 counts of murder and other offences, including public violence and illegal possession of arms and ammunition, totalling 52 charges.

3. THE EVENTS OF 4 SEPTEMBER

When reading through the statements of eye-witnesses, a fairly clear picture emerges of what happened on the morning of 4 September.

Some time in the early hours of the morning, apparently between 03:00 and 04:00, a group of about 150 armed men, most of them wearing white or red head-bands, attacked the hostel area in Sebokeng. Although most of them were carrying pangas, assegais and other homemade weapons, a number of them were also armed with firearms. (See statements of Thandeka Nxabi, Thezalele Watikeni, Saipeti Radebe, Rufus Jaca).

Witnesses also claimed to have seen about four white men, armed with rifles, who had balaclavas over their heads, in this group. (See statements of Stanford Ngubelanga, Wilson Thafeni, Aaron Ntantiso; Ernest Sotsu and Shele Popane in Beeld 06/09/90).

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The attackers moved through the hostels, shooting and hacking residents to death and burning vehicles. Hand grenades were also used during the attack. They were eventually trapped in Block E of Hostel 3 and surrounded by residents. By this time the white men had vanished. The South African Police then moved in and formed a barrier between the residents surrounding the hostel and the attackers trapped inside.(See statements of Stanford Ngubelanga, Pretty Vanga, Thandeka Nxabi, Thezalele Watikeni, Saipeti Radebe).

A number of the attackers were identified as Inkatha supporters, many of whom had attended the Inkatha rally at the stadium in Zone 7, Sebokeng on 22 July. (See statements of Nelson Tyelinjane, Saipeti Radebe, Aaron Ntantiso, James Mokoena, Rufus Jaca, Joseph Mkhatshwa, Petrus Mahonono, Pona Mokona).

Around 09:00, while the police were still present, a number of about four SADF armoured vehicles arrived. The soldiers, apparently members of the Cape Corps, got out and formed up in single file. The soldiers, who were armed with rifles, started advancing on the large group of residents outside the hostel.The residents sat down. It is not exactly clear whether an order was given, but it is clear that the soldiers opened fire on the crowd with live ammunition. (See statements of Nelson Tyelinjane, Rufus Jaca; Len Kumalo in The Star 05/09/90).

Eleven people were killed and many more injured, according to initial press reports. (The Citizen 06/09/90; The Star 05/09/90). Three people were shot in the back. (Beeld 06/09/90). However, subsequent police investigations suggest that only three people were killed in the SADF incident.The attackers who were trapped inside the hostel were subsequently arrested.

Most of the eye-witnesses whose statements the Board has supplied to the SAP, have attended a photographic identification parade in order to identify specific attackers. In the meantime, the 137 suspects have been refused bail.

4. CONCLUSION

As has been pointed out in previous memoranda, the Board is of the opinion that the present township violence was sparked off by an attack on the Sebokeng hostels on 22nd July 1990. The attack occurred after an Inkatha rally in Sebokeng. Although the Minister of Law and Order and the Commissioner of Police had been forewarned of a possible attack on that day by the Board's attorneys, the attack was not prevented and at least 2 4 people died in the ensuing violence. Most of the known Inkatha supporters living in the Sebokeng hostels who attended the rally, left the hostel after that incident.

- 8 -

Isolated shooting incidents occurred in the hostels subsequently, most notably in the period from 2 - 7 August and again on 12 August, when 9 people were killed. Representatives from local structures of the Mass Democratic Movement and the South African Police agreed in a meeting that Inkatha supporters should be allowed to return to the hostels but the mechanics and timing of the return were still to be worked out. The attack on the morning of the 4th September should be seen against this background.

The South African Police in Sebokeng have expressed their gratitude to the IBIIR's attorneys for the assistance given to the SAP in investigating the incident on the 4th September. The investigating team of the SAP, most notably Col van Niekerk, Lt Coetzer, Lt Van Niekerk and Warrant Officer van der Gryp have also thus far given their full cooperation to the Board's attorneys.

sos3sebsl

1. I am an adult male residing at Hostel 4, Block E, number 24, Sebokeng.

2. At about 03h45 on the morning of Tuesday the 4th of September 1990, I heard gunshots outside. I peeped

0 through the curtains and saw a number of forty to fifty. vi __ men ooming towards Block F into the hostel area. Three of

them were wearing white trousers, long overooats andbalaclavas. The rest of the men behind them were wearing headbands. i coul(J not ascertain the colour Qf ^

headbands because of the bad light. The three men infront had rifles in their hands. I could not see if the others were armed.

( ' 3.or I got dressed and went outside, where I saw the men passing towards Block H.

After they had passed, I heard more gunshots from the direction in which they had disappeared and I ran out towards the road in the opposite direction.

Outside, I met up with some more people. The gunfire continued inside the hostel area.

In the morning, at about 08h00 I went to Block E, Hostel3, where I saw a group that I could identify as the same men I had seen during the night. They were sitting inside the hostel area, and the hostel was surrounded by policemen. The men inside continued shooting at residents who had gathered outside the hostel. The majority of these men were wearing blue overalls. The policemen prevented the residents gathered outside from going into the hostel.

I recognised one of the men as Pele Buthelezi, who works with me at the US CO Vaal factory. I know Buthelezi as a member of Inkatha - he told me so at work. After we were first attacked in the hostels by Inkatha members on the 22nd of July this year, Buthelezi left the hostel where he had been living. Buthelezi attended the Inkatha rally at the Sebokeng stadium on that day, before we were attacked. Buthelezi came back to work after the 22nd of July, but we did not speak to each other after that incident.

While the residents were still gathered around Block E, some SADF vehicles arrived. The soldiers fired tear-gas and the residents dispersed. After the teargas had cleared, we came back and I saw the attackers being loaded into SADF trucks. Thereafter I went back to my room.

sk\gen\sebokeng.memM E M O R A N D U M

DATE: 29 JANUARY 1991TO: NEIL COLEMAN (COSATU)FROM: AZHAR CACHALIARE: SEBOKENG JUDICIAL INQUEST - AC/C6/90

1 On 4 September 1990 in the early hours of the morning and from approximately 3.00 am onwards a group of alleged Inkatha members, possibly assisted by some other people, attacked the Sebokeng Hostels over a period of approximately 4 hours. During this attack between 30 to 39 hostel dwellers were killed. Among the victims were a woman and a baby.

2 Between 7.00 and 9.00 am some 137 Inkatha members were trapped within the hostel complex and were separated from a very large incensed crowd by the police. At some stage between 8.30 and 9.00 am the police contacted the South African Defence Force to assist them in arranging a safe passage of exit for the Inkatha members. When the SADF arrived they opened fire on a section of the crowd in the process killing at least 3 persons and injuring many others.

3 Following upon this incident the 137 Inkatha members which had gathered inside were then arrested and taken to the Sebokeng police station. Among them was Mr Themba Khoza, the leader of the Transvaal Inkatha Youth Brigade in whose

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motor vehicle a large quantity of arms and ammunition were found.

4 The SADF then announced that it would hold a military board of inquiry to investigate the military incident. However, under some pressure from community organisations the Minister of Justice announced the appointment of a judicial inquest to determine causes of the death of 42 persons on the day and whether anybody was criminally responsible for them.

5 Of the 137 Inkatha 'members initially arrested charges were withdrawn against 100 for lack of sufficient evidence and the remaining 37 were charged with various counts ranging from the unlawful possession of arms and ammunition to theft and public violence. The murder and attempted murder charges were also withdrawn at that stage because of the pending judicial inquest.

6 The inquest is due to recommence on 4 February 1990 and there are various aspects that our organisations need to be aware of. I will discuss these under separate sub headings:

6.1 Assessment of the Evidence Led Thus FarI do not propose to give a detailed analysis of the evidence. I will however discuss some of the issues

which emerged thus far. The evidence can be broken up into two phases. For our purposes we can refer to them as the "Inkatha attack" and the "military incident".

6.1.1 A large part of the evidence thus far has been to establish whether deceased persons, in fact, died in the "Inkatha attack" or "military incident". The reason for this is that fire arms were used in both incidents and the bodies were subsequently moved about by the community to different points. In several cases therefore there has been some difficulty in establishing where the persons were killed and how. On the basis of the evidence thus far, however, it seems clear that 3 persons were shot dead by the SADF. The evidence, also in my view, tends to show that SADF opened fire without any legal justification and I am therefore fairly confident that the Judge will make a positive finding in this regard.

6.1.2 Very little evidence has been led thus far on the "Inkatha attack". The Inkatha team of lawyers have indicated that their clients will refuse to answer any incriminating

questions in the inquest as they are entitled to do. This places us in a difficult position as we have very little direct evidence at this stage which implicates any of those who were arrested with the actual killings. (Thecircumstancial evidence that 137 Inkatha members were arrested at the scene of the crime is not sufficient.) In this regard I need to state that it has repeatedly been brought to the attention of all the interested parties, particularly those we represent, that unless we have any reliable information on either the prior planning of the attack or any direct evidence of the participation of particular people in the attack, it is unlikely that the court will be able to make a finding that any of the Inkatha members should be prosecuted for murder or attempted murder. It is therefore crucial that our structures continue to look for people who can give us reliable information on this attack.

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6•2 Possible Charges Against Some of the Inkatha Members Who were Arrested Including Themba KhozaAs indicated above the prospects for a charge ofmurder be^ng pursued against Themba Khoza and theothers at this stage, seems remote. However, ThembaKhoza and some of his fellow accused will probably becharged with possession of arms and ammunition andexplosives as well as a few other charges. Ifconvicted on these counts they could face a prospectof a term of imprisonment.

6.3 The Role of the StatePrior to and during the inguest the police and the Deputy Attorney General, who have been running the inguest, have been co-operative and we have had a fairly good working relationship with them. There are two possible areas where the police may be open to some criticism.

6.3.1 A relatively junior policeman, Warrant Officer Puth, is the person conducting the investigation. There should, perhaps, be a more senior policeman doing this job;

6.3.2 The police do not appear to have conducted any forensic tests on the clothing of the Inkatha people who were arrested. Forensic tests may have produced blood samples which

V

could have matched the blood types of some of the deceased. This could have provided some evidence that such a person had participated in an attack on the deceased;

6-3.3 I am, however, not able to say that theState has acted male fide or improperly in the conduct of both their investigation and the judicial inquest.

6.4 Action Being TakenWe have launched civil claims in respect of 9 of the people who were injured in the SADF incident and 1 person who died. The Vaal Council of Churches has a list of 29 people who were injured but we have not been able to obtain instructions from them and have thus not been able to pursue any claims on their behalf. The 3rd February is the last day for the submission of the notice to claim damages against the Minister of Defence in terms of sll3 of the Defence Act.

If there are any matters which I have not raised explicitly in this memorandum, please feel free to contact me or my assistant, Anton Steenkamp, either before or during the duration of the inquest.

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(/I I V^ pmueruea bloodbath, unions claim

violence:were

y

9

By PHILIPPA GARSON and , / MONDLI MAKHANYA £ ^ / T( ?POLICE uere warned of plans to at­

tack members of Cosatu and the ANC

in Sebokeng at least three days before

the outbreak ot violence which has claimed 24 lives.

Representatives of the Congress of

SA Trade Unions and African National

Congress-affiliated organisations say they made numerous approaches to po­

lice and Inkatha's legal representatives

in the week leading up to the Inkatha rally on Sunday.

In letter;, to the minister of law and order and leading police officials, Co­satu lawyers told of a meeting on July 10 where it was said that “areas of Seb­okeng should be attacked by all ‘Zulus’”.

They asked the police for assurances I that violence would be prevented after . the rally. Police told them they would j “monitor the proceedings in the normal line of duty" and had agreed to search 1 and disarm hostel dwellers attending ! the meeting.

Inkatha president Chief Mangosuthu I Buthelezi responded by dismissing the j “impressions regarding alleged future j attacks on Vaal residents” as “unsub­stantiated gobbledygook”. j

Two days 4ater violence broke jout ' shortly after 3fVlnkaH)ajsilly.. _±

At a press conference last night, Co- 7 satu blamed police and Inkatha and tie- 1 manded air independent investigation into the clashes.

A police representative yesterday blamed anti-lnkatha elements for the vi­olence. but denied that police had agreed to disarm Inkatha members.

Police liaison officer Lieutenant- : Colonel Frans Halgryn told a press j

conference in Johannesburg yesterday the SAP could not have given such an undertaking because “it is Zulu custom to attend meetings armed with tradition­al weapons such as assegais, shields and knobkieries” .

Inkatha's Witwatersrand organiser Themba Khoza accused ANC support­ers of trying to prevent Sunday’s rally from going ahead. He said yesterday youths had tried to block people getting into the stadium and had stoned buses going to the rally.

Vaal complex ANC co-ordinator Bav- umile Vilikazi said at a press confer­ence yesterday his organisation viewed the situation in a very serious light.

Cosatu legal representative Peter Har­ris said he had been contacted by the union’s Vaal office in connection with an Inkatha meeting on July 10 at the Denver Hostel in Sebokeng, where senior Inkatha officials and hostel dwellers allegedly planned the weekend rally and decided that “comrades” and , their property would be attacked. 1

"According to my instructions and

from the information we received we

have good grounds to (believe) that the

, violence which took place was planned

in advance ’’ said Harris.

He said numerous steps were taken;

• Letters were sent to the commis­

sioner of police, minister of law and

order and the divisional commissioner

of police for the West Rand, stating

knowledge of the plans and requesting

that “necessary and preventive meas­

ures be taken”.

Police spokesman Halgryn said the fact that Inkatha members were armed was not the cause of the fighting.

According to Halgryn, before the In­katha rally began people wearing ANC T-shirts had gathered outside the stadi­um and begun toyi-toying. Police dis­persed this crowd with teargas as this

was an “illegal gathering”.Thereafter police patrols were at­

tacked all over the township. In one of these incidents a municipal policeman was slightly wounded when his vehicle

was fired on.He said when the rally ended at ,

3.30pm, police attempted to stop the Inkatha impis from marching to the Denver hostel “because this would ag­

gravate the situation”.However, after police were told that

the seven available buses would not ac­commodate everyone they decided to escort the impi. “On the way to the hostel the Inkatha members were at­tacked with petrol bombs and stones. Inkatha retaliated by throwing stones

back,” Halgryn said.On arrival at the hostel police fired |

teargas and rubber bullets at a crowd that was threatening Inkatha.

It was during this time that the com­manding officer. Warrant Officer Pe­trus Jooste, was stabbed in the heart with an assegai. He later died in Sebo­keng Hospital.,

Police withdrew from the hostel at 9pm, “when it seemed as if the situa­tion had quietened”. However, 30 min­utes later they heard gunshots and the sound of four explosives. When they arrived on the scene they found 15 bodies bn the ground. Two more were found in the morning.

Inkatha representative Khoza said his organisation’s supporters decided after the rally to catch buses at the hostel, which is on the border of Sebokeng, after fears they might be stoned while proceeding through the township.

“On the way to the hostel (the youths) attacked us and when we arrived at the hostel the attacks continued. That was when people died.”

He added that several Tnkatha mem­bers’ homes had been burnt yesterday.

Khoza called on the ANC to “disci­pline its people so that this sort of thing does not happen again”. - ^

r

j\o w over o iam e lo r D iooapam

Youths force

stayaway in Sebokeng

IfaiT A /?/?»

Youths today enforced a worker stayaway by residents of the battle-scarred Sebokeng township amid fears of renewed clashes Detween Inkatha and African National Congress factions. \ I \ .Fighting left at least 19 dead on Sunday and bitter dilputes over who was to blame. Police are accused of siding with Inkatha against ANC supporters; Inkatha is accused of planning attacks on ANC/Cosatu supporters for d;ys before the violence; and the ANC faction is accused of carrying out planned attack: on Inkatha..All sides have proclaimed their in­

nocence and claim to be victims of premeditated attack.

As yet it is not clear where the truth Ues.

At least 19 people, including a po­liceman, died in running battles from Evaton stadium — which both sides wanted to use for rallies — to Inkatha hostels in Sebokeng.

Today Hlangano Shabalala, trea­surer of the Sebokeng Civic Associa­tion, said tensions were running high in the township. There were fears of revenge attacks.

Youths were at a ll m ajor taxi ranks and bus stops to prevent people from going to work, Mr Shabalala said. Although police later inter­vened, only a few people managed to go to work. A bakery van was stoned.

Youths from the neighbouring Sharpeville township threatened to join forces with Sebokeng youths in the event of an attack by Inkatha members, Mr Shabalala said.

Po lice con firm ed gangs had stopped workers travelling to work.

A spokesman said today the situa­tion was under control and police were patrolling the area intensively to prevent further outbreaks of mass violence.

“There have been sporadic inci­dents of stone-throwing reported, but the situation is under control.

by Inkatha with police assistance”. !Inkatha leader Chief Mangosuthu

Buthelezi said that in view of the ac tions and utterances of certain ANC lead-ers and supporters to isolate In-1 katha and send hit squads to murder its leaders, he could understand In­katha supporters feeling the need to defend themselves and carry arms.

Police said the anti-Inkatha ele­ments had deliberately provoked a fight with Inkatha.

“We believe that anti-Inkatha ele­ments were the aggressors and deli­berately carried out the attacks on Inkatha supporters. If they had not adopted a confrontational stance, the killings would not have taken place. They were there for one reason alone — confrontation,” Colonel Frans Mal­herbe said.

He said a special team of detec­tives would investigate the killings.

Colonel Malherbe said Inkatha and the ANC-backed Vaal Civic Assoca- tion had applied to have meetings in the same stadium on the same day.

Inkatha, which also applied to Van- derbijlpark’s magistrate, was given permission. The VCA, which did not apply to the magistrate, was turned down.

Police said they had held several meetings before Sunday with Cosatu legal advisers and informed them

gal if it went ahead. These ; meetings were attended by Wit-

watersrand police chief Major- General Gert Erasmus

On Friday, Sebokeng police chief Colonel Othniel Mazibuko

I had held talks with the VCA on the matter.

At a press conference in Johannesburg last night Cosatu said it had informed the Minis­ter of Law and Order last Wednesday of allegations of In­katha's planned attack on Co­satu and ANC members and supporters. A copy of the fax to tee Minister was handed to the press.

* Peter Harris, representing Cosatu, said the police said they had investigated the allegation

and found it to have no sub­stance.

i He said there was reason .enough to believe an Inkatha at- ;tack was being planned and Co­satu, the Vaal Civic Association and the local ANC branch was doing everything possible to avoid the situation.

Before Sunday’s Inkatha rally, j several groups up to 600 strong I wearing ANC/UDF T-shirts gathered outside the stadium and hurled stones at policemen and their vehicles, police said.

The police dispersed the mobs with teargas and rubber bullets.

When the meeting ended at 3.30 pm, Inkatha members trav­e lling in seven buses were escorted from the stadium by police through a gauntlet of pet­rol bombs and stones, said po­lice.

Patrols stay

“Our patrols will remain in place until we are satisfied the situation has returned to normal,” said the spokesman, Captain Eugene Opper- man of the Witwatersrand police.

Cosatu general secretary Jay Nai- doo said yesterday the weekend vio- ! lence was “yet another violent attack |

special police proneof Vaal killingsf'nl Vfalhprh#* cnirl thp _

By Deborah Fine and Sapa

A SPECIAL investiga­

tion by high-ranking

members of the V;ial

Triangle Criminal In­

vestigation Depart­

ment has been set up

to examine the circum­

stances surrounding

Sunday s violence in

the township of Sebo­

keng

The police say 18

people were killed, in­

cluding a policeman, after

an Inkatha rally.

Last nighl an ANC

spokesman alleged that

24 people had died.

Colonel Frans Mnl-

h e jj^ '- S ic e liaison offi-

c c ^ B .he Witwaters-

ran.. .onfirmed at a Press

conference yesterday that

the bodies of 17 people

had been discovered by

police on Sunday night

after clashes between

members of Inkatha and

A N C /U D F supporters

earlier in the day.

. Col Malherbe also con­

firmed that Warrant Offi­

cer Petrus Jooste had died

at the Sebokeng Hospital

after an assegai pierced

his heart during a con­

frontation between the

two groups shortly after

the rally.

In a separate incident

in the township, a munici­

pal policeman. Sergeant J

:*b, had been

w l B ) in the wrilt

w ts^>j bullet was fired at

his vehicle by an un­

known person, he said.

Describing Sunday's

events as "tragic". Col

Malherbe said the viol­

ence began .when a group

of people wearing ANC/

U D F T-shirts gathered

outside the Sebokeng Sta­

dium in Zone Seven,

where about 2 1)00 Inka­

tha members had gath­

ered for a-legal "peace

rally" at 10 am.

When the police in­

formed the “ A N C/U DF

group" they constituted

an illegal gathering and

had to disperse, they be­

gan throwing stones, forc­

ing the police to use tear-

gas. he said. ~

Sporadic attacks on

policemen, including a

petrol-bomb incident,

were also being reported

all over the township at

this stage, he added.

Col Malherbe said the

meeting inside the stadi­

um had been peaceful,

and that “ the trouble be-

gan" when the meeting

ended at 3.30 pm. and a

large group of Inkatha

members decided to walk

back to their hostels in

Zone 14.

Although the Inkatha

members were advised by

police not to hold such a

procession as "it would

aggrevate the situation

outside", they proceeded

with their plan after it was

discovered that there

were too few buses to

provide transport for all j

the Inkatha supporters, j

Police agreed to escort

the group, but warned

that there should be “no

incidents" and that a

route which did not go!

through the township

should be chosen.

' Co l Malherbe said

stones and petrol-bombs

were thrown at thelnka-1

tha supporters from sev-!

eral houses as they began

walking down the street, |

causing them to retaliate

by throwing stones back

into the houses.

When the group ar-1

rived at the hostel, they

were confronted by a

large group o f “ Inkatha

opponehts".

Although Warrant O f­

ficer Jooste warned the

“anti-Inkatha" group that :

he would not tolerate a

confrontation, the crowd

refused to disperse, caus­

ing W /O Jooste to instruct

his men to fire teargas

and rubber bullets.

During the skirmish, an

assegai was thrown at

W /O Jooste, which en­

tered his chest and

pierced his heart. He died

at the Sebokeng Hospital

about two hours later.

After the crowd had

dispersed, police con­

tinued to patrol the area

until 9 pm. when it was

deemed quiet enough to

withdraw.

About half and hour

later, automatic gunfire

and small explosions were

heard in the vicinity of the

hostels, and police were

again sent into the area.

The bodies of 15 men.

all of whom had died as a

'result of injuries caused

by blunt objects, and stab

wounds, were then found

in the hostel grounds. _

The bodies of two men

were also discovered yes­

terday morning.

Col Malherbe did not

say whether the victims

were Inkatha members or

A N C /U D F supporters.

He added that police

were expecting "revenge

attacks" following these

deaths, and w;arned town­

ship residents that police

would do “ everything

possible to stamp out this

unnecessary violence".

Col Malherbe said the

violence and deaths had

been the result of attacks

by A N C /U D F supporters

who had “clearly aimed

to bring out confronta­

tion".

‘ It was clear that they

wanted to cause trouble,"

he said. ________ j

Asked whether the'

police would negotiate

with Inkatha and the

ANC/UDF/Cosatu alli­

ance to bring an end to

the conflict. Col M al­

herbe said it "was not the

police's duty to act as a

mediator"."This is a political con­

flict and not a security

problem. The two groups

must sit down and sort

out their differences in a

civilised manner, he (

said.Asked why the Inkatha

supporters had been al­

lowed to take weapons to

the rally. Col Malherbe

said that it was a Zulu

custom to attend meet­

ings with their traditional

assegais, shields and

knobkerries.

Although earlier eye­

witness reports alleged

that the Inkatha members

were also armed with

pangas, pitchforks, steel

spikes and golf clubs. Col

Malherbe stated that

policemen at the stadium

had seen “only a small

number of impis armed

with traditional

weapons".He denied that other

weapons had been taken

into the stadium, and said

that police would have!

confiscated such weapons]

if they had been seen, -1

He said, however, that]

if traditional weapons be-]

came a problem at politi-;

cal rallies, police would

suggest that these'

weapons no longer be al-1

lowed at meetings.

But it had not been the 1

carrying of the traditional

weapons that had sparked!

the violence in Sebokeng,'

he said,I

Reacting to allegationSj

that police had collabo­

rated with and supported

Inkatha members as they |

rampaged through the!

streets, Col Malherbe

said it was “absolute non-J

sense” that police sided

with certain groups.

Cosatu is presently dis-j

cussing with its lawyers:

the possibility of suing the!

SA Police for damages re-]

suiting from the pitched

battles in Vaal Triangle

townships on Sunday.

As a result of the viol-

ence, tens of thousands of

residents in the Sebo­

keng, Sharpeville and

Evaton townships had

embarbed on a “ sponta­

neous stay-away” yester­

day, Cosatu spokesman,

M r Neil Coleman said.

“ What we don’t under­

stand is that the police

were given ample warning

of the planned Inkatha at­

tack, and nothing was

done about it,” M r Cole­

man maintained.

He said Col Paddy Ma-

zibuka, who is respon­

sible for Sebokeng, had

given Cosatu an under­

taking last week after dis- j

cussions that police

wouldn’t allow arm ed;

people to attend Sunday's!

Inkatha rally in Sebo­

keng. i“Yet, the Inkatha impis

who attended the rally

were heavily-armed — j

they had a whole range of

weapons. including

guns.” M r Coleman al­

leged.

Warrant-Officer PE­TRUS JOOSTE, who died after his heart was pierced by an assegai during a clash between Inka­tha members and ANC/UDF supporters in Sebokeng on Sun­

day.

S

‘Spear pierced his heart’ — witness

By Craig Kotze

A riot policeman, who attempted to keep war­ring Inkatha and ANC groups apart in Sebo­keng township, died after pulling an assegai out of his chest at the weekend.

Warrant Officer Petrus “Seppi” Jooste (32) of the Diepkloof Riot Unit died orr Sunday after the spear was hurled at police at the Sebokeng single quarters where up to 21 people died in clashes.

. The spear feij-fcis heart but the policemair man- aged to pluck it from his chest and throw it away

He died an hour

W arrant Officer Petrus "Seppi" Jooste.

before being taken to hospital later, police said.

o o ^ ^ r^ te was with a detachment of ^ “r i^ g Inkatha members through a gauntlet

supporters. ” ^ St°DeS hUrled by susPected ANC

p0lice’ t0 ambush the Inkatha members

MSS5K SWSSTJSSL B .* - *

They refused to disperse and rubber bullets and

1 .

pohceman who was at the scene y’ 831(1 a

b e e n S t o f c d l f “ <0° e miSSing ^ ve^»stL\,sa5ir -*- SUBBr* *** ™terday unable to speak to^heStar.

___ O n

Police helped Inkatha Sebokeng clashes - voi

»

By NORMAN MAKNUTLE

A 17-YEAR-OLD student yesterday al­leged police were assisting Inkatha sup­porters in a clash with Sebokeng resi­dents on Sunday which left more than 20 dead.

Five people were admitted to the Ve- reeniging Hospital on Sunday with stab and bullet wounds. Two men were ad- rrutted yesterday with bullet wounds

Speaking from their beds they told how a group of heavily-armed Inkatha supporters went “wild”, breaking win­dows, hitting out at people and firing shots at any person in their path as thev marched to the Denver Hostel.

The student, Sandile Mtshali, said he was arrested at about 1.45pm while

walking in the street in Zone 12 and was driven around the township in the back of a police van.

T n S 5hP° lice lhen drove UP t0 a «mup of Inkatha supporters. “A policeman, aVan der Berg, ordered me to get out ofthe van and go towards the group.”

hilfe311 refuSed’ saying he feared for“A gun was pointed in my back and I

r L P L t0r rds thc « rouP' A man in the group stabbed me in the stomach "

I ™ 'cre. representative Major Mike^mbard said he could not comment onMtshali s allegations. “Anyone withcomplaints about police misconduct

S S S ;ihepo,i“’wtowi,Mnv's-

Anotherresidcnt, Nicodemus Mocletsi Uo) said that at about 5pm Inkaiha

members were shooting at random in (he

township. Moeletsi is in hospital, where

he is being treated for a bullet wound in the shoulder.

Solomon Mthembu (17), was shot slightly above his left breasi. “ I heard a

gunshot but it did not sound like thc usti-

x c r ”" 1* ...n,3I',Cl? VVnShip yesterday was icnse, but cjuiet. Two people were injured in shoot­

ing incidents and admitted to Ycrecnie- mg Hospital.

Znia?^M0kKCna (21) and Simon Zondo (32) are both in a serious but stable condition.

tit

i and'

uhave been avoided if the Minis- ANC members was to be laun-^ter of Law and Order and police ched in Sebokeng on July 21. > had acted correctly when told It was also decided at an In-1last week of Inkatha's intention katha meeting on the Ju ly 11to attack, Cosatu said yesterday, that “all Zulus” should attack

At a press conference in Jo- ANC and Cosatu members, hannesburg, the union federa- The statement asked the Min-tion said they had informed the ister to bring the matter to hisMinister last Wednesday of alle- urgent attention, gations of Inkatha's planned at- Cosatu’s lawyers informed thetack on Cosatu and ANC mem- Divisional Commissioner of Po-bers and supporters. A copy of lice and the Commissioner ofthe fax to the M inister was Police of the allegations, handed to the press. Lawyers contacted Inkatha on

The faxed statement said Co- Wednesday about the attacks, satu had been informed that an Peter Harris, for Cosatu, saidInkatha meeting on Ju ly 10, the police had stated they hadwhich was attended by two In- investigated the allegation andkatha. tjead^offlce members, de- found it to have no substanee.

Vaal death toll 24m r a j f l i —

mobilise themselves until

the violence stops.

The Interdenom ina­

tional Prayer W omen’s

League, which made the

call, yesterday said in a

statement: "W e have to

devise ways to force our

husbands to bring these

senseless killings to an

end.”Mrs M a s e c h a b a

-i. a spokesman of

t ^ V >VL said: “This is

no' 'he time to be point- ii( ngcrs and scoring

points.“The nation is dying.

We need to come together

and do something and

stop accusing each other.“We hope the reality

of this chaos will reach

our husbands if it is raised by mothers in their homes

and organisations.”

S h e a c c u s e d

~>iitipians of avoiding

“ the obvious solution of

talking to one another to

seek an end to the

violence.

“ What they are good

at is attributing blame

while tltcir followers, our

very sons, kill one an­other.”

Mabaso said she had the support of other lead­ers in the community like

Mrs Maggie Nkwe and Mrs Leah Tutu.

The call comes after

24 people died in clashes between police, residents

and Inkatha members in Sebokeng yesterday.

The other 26 died in Natal last week when a

bus was allegedly am­

bushed before it and a

minibus collided in Phoe­

nix.

Mabaso has also called

on residents in Soweto to

meet at Uncle Tom’s

Hall. Orlando West, on

:==^_S unday at 1pm.There will be a march

i to Little Koppie near i Beverly Hills for a prayer i meeting.i “ We will not only be

•'praying for an .end to

‘ political killings but also

1 an end to the alarming crime rate in Soweto,” she added.

The prayer^ will stariJ

a (. i

i-j[i i iI

'• i ■ \1 '• -1 :A

By KENOSI MODISANE and

MATSHUBE MFOLOE 1.----------------------- ~ fAT least 24 people £

have died in politi-;

cal figh ting be- j

t ween a l l e g e d

members of I n ­

k a t h a and the 1

L'DF in Sebokeng. ;

The violence fol- I

lowed an Inkatha meet­

ing attended by heavily

armed impis in the

Vaal.The dead have not yet

been identified.

Residents on a frantic

search for their missing relatives were yesterday

told to report to the

mortuary.More than 45 people

have been admitted to the Sebokeng Hospital, ac­

cord ing to hospital spokesman Dr Daniel C

Douglas.

InquiryHe said it was difficult

to work out the number of those admitted as a result

of the clash “ because

they keep streaming in” .He said all those ad­

mitted were in a stable condi in m i . A few people were in a serious condi­

tion.The Congress of South ,

African Trade Unions

yesterday called for an in- dependent commission of

inquiry into the incident.The Chief Minister of

K w a Z u l u , C h i e f Mansosuthu Buthelezi

said:" “ I am very sorry

this happened.” i He lashed out at the

\ ANCNUDF supporters for

i “ taunting and jeering” at

i Inkatha supporters on

■ Sunday. (; The killing of at least

i 50 people in political

-Clashes in the past five days has led to chur-

] chwomen call ing on • mothers to agitate and

r#

I saw five people killed - witnessf h r By Me,ody McDougall

Vereenlging Bureau * V tyV *

A photojournalist yesterday described the horror of witnessing the deaths of five people killed during street battles

S S E 2 Inkatha supporter and rival political organisations in trouble-torn Sebokeng township on Sunday.

It was terrible. I have never seen anything like this before,” said the shocked Journalist, who wished to re­main anonymous out of fear of retalia- tion.

He said most of the victims, who ap­peared to be innocent bystanders, were first shot and then hacked and battered to death by large mobs wielding an assortment of jveapons, including guns,

pangas, knives, knoblorfries and golf clubs. 6

He also levelled accusations at po­lice blaming them for being pro-In- katha and more interested in video­taping the proceedings than interven­ing and helping people who were being attacked. 6

The journalist said he was covering the Inkatha peace rally at the Sebo­keng stadium.“At one stage while I was outside the stadium taking pictures two guns were pointed at me by In­katha supporters. Some of them rushed at me and wanted to chop me with pangas and knives, but I managed to escape through a hole in the fence and fled to safety."

«

Hr **/?/&

"e'-‘ * ~<{tP r e s i d e n t ° ^ J ^ e n g a nti-lnkatha hos-

. re*'aent, arm ed with an n , . •

sym pathisers a t the hostel.

______________• Picture by Alf Komalo.

.................................................................... ..... ........ .......................... . ..y f .n. ~**mmmmmmmmmmmm*i

Aftermath. The main bus and taxi route through Sebokenq's Zone 7 was Impassable vesterdav mornlno. littered with rocks and rubhlp P \ c t n r < v J A R U K M M A I O

Anti-Inkatha groups

S'SSL't’"—w S k e n S ^ K ^ anti- ^ a t h a elements for the I Trian o il bl0Od^ath at Sebokeng township in the VaS

the Zulu ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ K h t ^ i t h

, s s » sP ^ ^ w k e s m al! r r 1?Wn,,^ r SOn’ 1531(1 Witwatensrand

thoHueeh f d POljCe kBe* * 19 ^ t K f l T w a s at first deathtoU Statements- « “ t the ,

betataJted* that rCVenge attacks ^ «* jAll posible m easures would be taken to Pnrf

|S ™ w ^ jrjssa ; & i 3 “ r«r“ £jAssociation(VCA) had applied to have meetines in

J » W l i i t o T a n 0d e r ? u ipT k fs m a g S ^ o ^ ? -

anH ± meeting, several groups between 100

a n d X X K ^ " » b s * “ ■ *“ * »

b e r e K e n ^ i S 6 eDded at 3 3 0 Pm - mem-

ButhelezisupportsSebokeng factionInkatha leader Mangos- / uthu Buthelezi yesterday came out in open support of the Inkatha members involved in the weekend clash in Sebokeng. ,

In a statem ent, h e said he w a s “ v e r y s o r r y ” ; ab o u t th e in c id e n t b u t could understand th a t In-1 katha supporters felt the need to d e fe n d th e m ­selves and carry arm s.

Fair game“ In view of w hat the

ANC is saying and doing in calling for the ‘is o la -■ tion’ of Inkatha and send-] ing h it squads to m urder Inkatha leaders and sup­p o r te rs , i t is c le a r In ­k a th a is s e e n a s f a i r game.

“ G iven th e se ac tio n s and utterances of certain ANC le a d e rs a n d sup-

; porters, and in these cir­cum stances, one can un­d e rs ta n d In k a th a su p ­porters feeling the need to defend them selves and carry arm s,” Chief Buth­elezi said.

Nuwe onrus 1 eis 6 lewens in SebokengBusse onder klippe gesteekVan Ons Vaaldriehoekse Kantoor

VEREEN1GING. - Minstens ses mense is gisteraand in Sebokeng dood nadat hemieude gevegte tussen ondersteuners van Inkatha en die ANC uitgebreek het.

Dit bring die dodetal in die gebied sedert Sondag se geweldpleging op dertig te staan.

’n Gespanne toestand het gisteraand in die gebied geheers. Busse is met klippe bestook en verskeie huise is ook aangeval.Ingange na die swart gebiede is afgesper.

In ’n wrede voorval is twee swartmans in geweldpleging by die Sebokeng-hostel doodgekap.

Voorvalle van klipgooiery na polisie- voertuie het weer voorgekom en ’n swart polisieman se huis is afgebrand.

Comrades en ander poiitieke groepe- rings het intussen ’n wegbly-aksie op swart dorpe in die Vaaldriehoek gereel.Klippe is oor al die vernaamste verkeers- roetes in Sebokeng en Evaton gepak.

Woordvoerders van die ANC-alliansie het ’n striemende aanval op die Polisie en Inkatha gedoen tydens ’n nuuskonferensie in Cosatu se kantore op Vereeniging.

Mnr. Peter Skosana van die South Afri­can Youth Congress (Sayco) en mnr.Shelley Papane van die UDF het gese Inkatha het Sondag koelbioedige moord sonder provokasie op ander poiitieke groe- peringe gepleeg.

Dit is onwaar dat Inkatha uitgetart is.Klippe en petrolbomme is nie na Inkatha geslinger en geen ANC-hemde is gedra nie, het hulle gese.

Die Polisie het Inkatha in ’n baie groot

mate bygestaan. jDie twee organisasies het gevra dat ’n I

onafhanklike ondersoek na die sewentien moorde Sondag in die gebied en die poli­sie se betrokkenheid ingestel word. i

Die aanvallers het uit sowat 100 Zoe- j

loes uit Sebokeng se hostel bestaan. Vyf j busvragte Inkatha-ondersteuners het uit ] Johannesburg en die Oos-Rand aangekom J vir Sondag se Inkatha-vergadering. Inka- 1 tha-lede het wit kopbande gedra sodathulle hul eie lede in gevegte kon onder- skei. Hulle was gewapen met vuurwapens en pangas, het mnre. Skosana en Papane gese.

Cosatu het in ’n verklaring wat in Jo­hannesburg uitgereik is, gese hy het reeds op 16 Julie inligting ontvang dat Inkatha ’n aanval in dele van Sebokeng wil begin, j

Dit is aan die Polisie en Inkatha oorge- dra. Inkatha het ’n ondememing gegee dat geen geweldpleging sou plaasvind by j die vergadering wat Sondag gehou is nie. |

• Die swart-teen-swart geweldpleging het ook na Wesselton, naby Ermelo uitge- j brei. Inwoners het uit hul huise gevlug en gaan skuiling soek by die plaaslike polisie- kantoor. ; )

’n Inwoner wat gevra het om nie ge- j indentifsieer te word nie, het aan Sapa j gese twee huise is aan die brand. Dit is nie j bekend of mense dood is in die gevegte I nie.

’n Woordvoerder van die Polisie se afdeling openbare betrekkinge het gese ’n polisievoertuig is met petrolbomme be­stook en traanrook moes gebruik word om oproeriges uiteen te jaag. j

r 9

Stokers aangekla dat hoi verkeer ontwrig

P O L IS IE M A N N E laai van die sowat vierhonderd stokers van die munisipa- liteit op Vereeniging in vragmotors. Hulle is in hegtenis geneem n6 'n p r o t e s o p t o g in Jan Smutslaan. Die stokers word daarvan aangekla dat hulle die verkeer ont­wrig het. Die betoging om hoer lone het van omstreeks nege- tot ^twaalfuur geduur.

Sebokeng:Helen Grange

R um oured th re a ts th a t In k ath a was planning attacks — and coun­te r - t h r e a t s th a t th e r e w ould "never be an Inkatha rally in the Vaal” — w ere circulating in Sebo­keng days before Sunday’s blood­bath, The S tar was told yesterday.

Both Cosatu and Inkatha claim they Informed the police of the ru­m ours w ell befo re the In k ath a ra lly a t E vaton S tadium . How­ever, a bloodbath which claim ed many lives was not prevented.

The tru th of w hat happened on Sunday becam e m ore clouded yes­te rd a y as In k ath a and C osa tu / ANC spokesmen directed further accusations against each other.

C osatu spokesm an Neil Cole­man said it was c lear tha t police had collaborated with Inkatha in their plan to a ttack Cosatu/ANC su p p o rte rs . In k a th a su p p o rte rs had been arm ed in spite of a po- licp u n d e rta k in g th a t no a rm s would be allow ed in to the sta -

. dium. The police had also escort­ed arm ed vigilantes through the township to the Sebokeng hosjel.

"And when Inkatha did attack , the police m ade no a tte m p t to stop them ,” Mr Coleman said.

confusion grows5 Cosatu also claim s that, follow­ing inform ation th a t Inkatha was p lann ing a t ta c k s , both In k a th a head office and various heads of police, including the M inister of Law and Order, w ere informed.

In a sta tem ent, Cosatu conclud­ed: “The police w ere warned that there would possibly be violence, w ere told where and when and by whom it would allegedly be per­petra ted — and yet it still took place. The situation dem ands a full investiga tion as to why, in sp ite of rep ea ted w arnings, vio­lence occu rred , lives w ere lost and property was dam aged.”

I n k a th a y o u th o r g a n i s e r s claim ed yesterday th a t inform a­tion had been given to the Vereen- iging Police Station tha t rum ours w ere spreading in Sebokeng that no Inkatha rally would be allowed in the Vaal T riangle area.

The ch a irm an of the In k ath a Youth Brigade on the West Rand, T h em b a K hoza, sa id : “ P eo p le w ere trying to prevent the rally from going- ahead,,-(The inc iden t* was p erp e tra ted , by Cosatu/ANC su p p o r te rs th e sa m e w ay they p e rp e tra te d the N a ta l bus a m ­bush. Inkatha m em bers had every

right to defena ihem selves.”M r K hoza ad d ed th a t an In ­

katha m em ber had been killed in Evaton yesterday afternoo'

The S tar was inform ed . y the g e n e ra l m a n ag e r of P u tco bus com m uter serv ices, Ben P elser, th a t buses w ere sto n ed w hile parked outside the stadium

“I have gathered from m y own staff tha t when this happened, the d rivers ran away. When Inkatha ca m e out of the s tad iu m , they drove the buses to the police s ta ­tion. Our drivers m ade their way to the station and drove the buses, full of passengers, back to Sowe­to," he said.

In an a t t e m p t to e s ta b l is h w hether an undertaking had been m ade by police to d isarm Inkatha supporters, The S tar was told by C o lo n e l O th n ie l M az ib u k o to “speak to public relations". Colo­nel Mazibuko, of the Sebokeng Po­lice Station, is alleged by Cosatu W estern T ransvaal official Zwe- linzim a Vavi to have given him and others this undertaking.

P o lice have s ta te d th a t only tra d i tio n a l a rm s w ere allow ed in to the s tad iu m and th a t an ti- Inkatha elem ents provoked the a t­tack afte r the rally.

Sebokeng: Cosatuplea to FW. , By Sapa,

Martin McGhee and < , „ Tony Stirling 'IS I T f I

T H E C ongress of South A frican Trade U nions urged State President F W de

Klerk to intervene to halt the fighting in Se­bokeng tow nship b e­tw een supporters o f the ANC and Inkatha.

Six people w ere killed yesterday evening in re ­new ed fighting betw een the w arring factions. T he latest deaths raise to m ore than 20 the num ber o f peop le killed in the viol­ence since Sunday.

“We feel (Mr) De Klerk must intervene im­mediately to stop this car­nage from continuing,"Cosatu spokesman. Mr Neil Coleman said yester­day.

“It is clear the police have no intention of doing so," he alleged.

Mr Coleman said fierce _ taxi ranks fighting had broken out ..... people from

tel in th e tow nship , b e ­tw een In k a th a su p porters and hoste l dw ellers, in k a ­tha su p p o rte rs had e n ­te red the tow nsh ip in se ­ven b uses, he claim ed.

“ A w ar is now going on at the h o s te l."

M r C o lem an said it was crim inal o f the police to "allow the a rm ed Inkatha m em bers to be bussed in to the tow nsh ip and w age w ar" .

When a Citizen team attempted to enter the township yesterday after­noon, they found the main access road barri­caded by large stones and a local warned. “ Don't go any further, it's too dan­gerous”.

Youths were present at preventing agoing .to i

ers w ere voluntarily re fus­ing to accept passengers w ho w anted to trave l to nearby V ereeniging or V anderb ijlpark — two of the tow ns h ard -h it by the consum er boycott.

Sebokeng exp loded in violence on Sunday when about 19 peo p le , includ­ing a police w arran t offi­cer w ere killed follow ing clashes afte r an In k a th a rally a t th e Sebokeng Z one Seven Stadium .

Inkatha has been accus­ed o f p lanning violence days before th e u n rest, and a sta tem en t re leased by C osa tu last Friday w ar­ned against the possibili­ty-

O n the sam e day In k a ­th a lead er, C h ief M ango- su thu JButhelezi, den ied

I ..last night at a zone 14hos- work and some taxi driv

Cosatu allegations that j Sebokeng would be used : as a spring-board for viol­

ence against the people of the Vaal Triangle.

Yesterday, police were still pitrolling the area ex­tensively.

Cosatu said the police had been pre-warned of Inkatha's intentions: they

| had not disarmed people | attending Sunday's rally

and they made no attempt to prevent the use of weapons which included firearms according to Mr Coleman.

Chief Buthelezi yester­day defended Inkatha's right to protect itself and said that in the light of threats received, his sup­porters were entitled to defend themselves.

A special police team has been set up to investi­gate Sunday's killings.

Cosatu said yesterday it found “totally farcical" that police were to inves­tigate Sunday's violence.

Instead, Cosatu ra l lprl for the immediate suspen­

sion of all police members on duty in Sebokeng on Sunday until an indepen­dent judicial inquiry was completed.

According to M r Cole­man, "The police’s inves­tigation will just become another attempt by the police to investigate themselves”.

Police spokesman, Col Frans Malherbe, blamed the violence on “a group of people dressed in ANC and UDF T-shirts who came to the stadium to provoke Inkatha support­ers".

Mr Coleman gave eye­witness accounts alleging police intervened on the side of armed Inkatha members at the height of running battles in Sebo­keng.

As far as Cosatu was concerned, Mr Coleman alleged, “it seems clear to us that Inkatha is at­tempting to raise their political profile through the use of violence be­cause they are unable to win the support of the

people through democrat­ic political means”.

The Ministry of Law and Order yesterday

qucm ed why supporters of Cosatu, the ANC and the UDF had appeared at the Inkatha meeting in Sebokeng on Sunday if they knew violence was possible.

A Ministry spokesman was responding to allega­tions by Cosatu yesterday that despite advance war­nings to the police by Co­satu on the possibility of violence taking place after the Inkatha meet­ing, and that Inkatha sup­porters might be armed, the violence which re­sulted in 18 deaths had taken place.

“In the light of their al­legations that they knew in advance of the possibil­ity of violence, I wish to ask Cosatu why it is that groups opposed to Inka­tha went to the vicinity of the stadium where Inka­tha's meeting was taking place, and why, in the cir­cumstances, they did not

simply stay away?” he j said.

He said it was prepos­terous to imply that the ’ police would simply have allowed the violence to proceed had they known of it in advance.

“It should be remem- j bered in the first instance that it is the duty of the SAP to maintain law and order, and that they will not shirk from this task,” he said.

“But it should also be remembered that all too often the police have been the targets of viol­ence initiated by one group or another, while they have been engaged in fulfilling this task,” he said. I

The incidents at Sebo-J keng on Sunday had been no exception. A police­man had died as the result of a stab wound inflicted by an assegai. This fact alone slu»ld show the ab­surdity of the suggestion by Cosatu that the police had ignored warnings.

Collection Number: AK2672 Goldstone Commission BOIPATONG ENQUIRY Records 1990-1999 PUBLISHER: Publisher:- Historical Papers, University of the Witwatersrand Location:- Johannesburg ©2012

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